Is Capitol Police Spying on Certain Folks Who Meet With Members of Congress?
You might want to rethink your next visit to Congress. If meeting with your local representatives is your thing, have at it. This isn’t a life-or-death warning. You won’t be black bagged by some secret police unit. If you work there or need to meet with members of Congress often, then you have no choice. You’re just going to have to deal with what the Capitol Police is reportedly doing to some folks who meet their lawmakers.
After the January 6 riot, the Capitol Police’s intelligence unit is perusing the social media activity of some guests and doing what appears to be soft background checks. For those who are civil liberties-minded, this might be problematic. Granted, the Capitol Police say they’re only looking at information that’s already public akin to what journalists do when researching a story, but the practice has raised some eyebrows. Congressional staffers are also put under the microscope. Is it creepy? Is it the norm now? whatever its intention, there’s no doubt that it will have a chilling effect on normal Americans who want to meet with their representatives to air out grievances or just outright meet who is looking out for their interests (supposedly) on Capitol Hill. Even members of Capitol Police have voiced their concerns (via Politico):
After the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Capitol Police’s intelligence unit quietly started scrutinizing the backgrounds of people who meet with lawmakers, according to three people familiar with the matter.
POLITICO also viewed written communications describing the new approach, part of a host of changes that the department implemented after the Capitol attack. Examining the social media feeds of people who aren’t suspected of crimes, however, is a controversial move for law enforcement and intelligence officials given the civil liberties concerns it raises.
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